49ers: Kyle Shanahan could be in controlling position

The 49ers will offer their vacant head coaching position to Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, according to multiple reports.

Media: Sports Illustrated

Just more than two decades ago, 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan was hired as the Broncos’ head coach after a wildly successful season.

In 1994, Shanahan’s offense scored more than 500 points, quarterback Steve Young was the NFL’s MVP and the dominant attack carried the 49ers to a Super Bowl title.

Like father, like son, evidently.

Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who reportedly is “almost certain” to accept the 49ers’ head-coaching offer, will step into his new role under very similar circumstances: This season, Atlanta scored more than 500 points, quarterback Matt Ryan is the favorite to be named the NFL’s MVP and the Falcons are two wins away from a Super Bowl title.

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan walks on the turf before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) less

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan walks on the turf before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, in Atlanta. ... more

Photo: John Bazemore, Associated Press

Photo: John Bazemore, Associated Press

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Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan walks on the turf before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) less

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan walks on the turf before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, in Atlanta. ... more

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Also: It’s conceivable the father-son parallel could hold when it comes to the matter of personnel control with the new team.

The 49ers, of course, have yet to hire a general manager. CEO Jed York has said he wants the next head coach and general manager to form a strong partnership, but it’s unknown how the union will work as far as who will have final say on football matters.

The 49ers have interviewed 10 general-manager candidates and they pared their list Tuesday by inviting three executives to have a second interview: Green Bay’s Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf, and Minnesota’s George Paton, CSN Bay Area reported. Arizona’s Terry McDonough also is still a possibility.

Meanwhile, Shanahan, 37, has tremendous leverage before he signs a contract by virtue of being the 49ers’ last available candidate. In addition, if he’s anything like his father, the matter of personnel control will be significant.

Consider: Starting with his hiring by Denver in 1995, Mike Shanahan had control of the roster and other football matters during his final 18 seasons as a head coach. It was control Shanahan demanded based on his failed 20-game tenure as the Raiders’ head coach from 1988 to 1989, when owner Al Davis had final say on everything from roster moves to offensive game plans.

In 1994, Shanahan explained he’d turned down head-coach offers after leaving the Raiders because they didn’t offer enough autonomy.

“I think I’ve been around enough to know that if you’re going to have your name on something, you better be able to control your own destiny,” Shanahan said. “That’s what I’m looking for, so whatever happens, you can say, ‘That’s Mike Shanahan’s football team.’”

This doesn’t necessarily mean Kyle Shanahan is cut from the same cloth, but it’s notable that an issue over control led to him to leave a recent job. Shanahan resigned as the Browns’ offensive coordinator after the 2014 season reportedly because of front-office pressure to start rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Two years later, Shanahan, who worked under his father as Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2010 through ’13, apparently will have a say in the general manager the 49ers hire.

The 49ers can’t hire Shanahan until the Falcons’ season ends. However, if Atlanta beats the Packers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers will have a second interview next week during which the general-manager position will be addressed. Shanahan, who would be a rookie head coach, has no clear ties to Gutekunst, Wolf, Paton or McDonough, who have not been general managers.

It’s not quite the arrangement the 49ers were envisioning when they started their search for a head coach and general manager to pair.

They began by hoping to link their top choice, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, with the Patriots’ director of player personnel, Nick Caserio, his friend and teammate at John Carroll University. However, Caserio declined the 49ers’ interview request. And McDaniels, who also was connected to GM candidate Louis Riddick, withdrew from consideration Monday.

Despite the twists and turns, it’s quite possible that Shanahan and the new general manager will form a strong partnership.

But if questions remain about personnel control, Shanahan could be in a position to dictate the answers.